Chess Cake Recipe
Category: Desserts
Servings: 10
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Almond flour | 50g |
| All-purpose flour | 150g |
| Eggs | 4 |
| Sugar | 200g |
| Wildflower honey | 20g |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 135ml |
| Orange juice | 80ml |
| Orange zest | 1 |
| Baking powder | 8g |
| Fine salt | 1 pinch |
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | 50g |
| Orange marmalade | 200g |
| Fresh cream | 200g |
| Dark chocolate | 200g |
| Orange zest (for decoration) | to taste |
Instructions
To make this delicious Chess Cake, begin by preparing the light cake layer. Start by grating the zest of the oranges and set it aside. In a stand mixer, add the eggs, a pinch of salt, honey, and orange zest. Turn on the mixer and whisk until the mixture becomes light and frothy. Gradually pour in the extra virgin olive oil and orange juice while continuing to mix. Once everything is well combined, sift the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and baking powder, and add them to the batter, one spoonful at a time.
Prepare an 18 cm round cake pan with high sides (about 10 cm). Grease it and line it with parchment paper. Pour the light cake batter into the pan and set it aside.
Now, move on to preparing the dark cake layer. Follow the same procedure as for the light cake: in the stand mixer, add the eggs, salt, honey, sugar, orange zest, and orange juice. Once this mixture is smooth and airy, sift the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, and incorporate them into the batter, again, one spoonful at a time.
Grease and line another 18 cm round cake pan with parchment paper and pour the dark cake batter into it. Bake both cakes as per your recipe instructions, checking with a toothpick to ensure they are baked through. Once done, remove from the oven, let the cakes cool, and carefully remove them from the pans.
Once both cakes have cooled completely, slice each cake into 3 even layers (approximately 17-18 cm in diameter). Use a cookie cutter to cut out circles from each cake: one large circle with a diameter of 12 cm, and one smaller circle with a diameter of 7 cm. This will give you three concentric circles per layer, each varying in size.
Now, you can begin assembling the chess cake. On a serving plate, place the largest circle of the light cake (this will form the outermost layer). Next, place the medium-sized dark cake circle inside the light circle, followed by the smallest light cake circle in the very center. The circles will fit together seamlessly, creating a uniform base.
Spread a layer of sifted orange marmalade over the surface of the cake. Then, continue layering: place a dark circle on the outside, followed by a light circle inside it, and repeat the layering process until you’ve used all the circles.
For the ganache, finely chop the dark chocolate. Heat the fresh cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer, but do not let it boil. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for a minute to melt. Stir until smooth and shiny.
Using a spatula, carefully coat the top and sides of the assembled cake with the ganache, creating a textured, irregular surface rather than a smooth one.
Finish the decoration by garnishing the top of the cake with julienned strips of orange zest, which will add a beautiful touch of color and a burst of citrus flavor.
Your chess cake is now ready to be served and enjoyed! Perfect for a special occasion or as a show-stopping dessert at any gathering.
